Christy fictional_traits's Reviews > The Frozen River

'I am in the business of mortality. Its beginning and its end'.

Martha Ballard, has been the local midwife and healer in Hallowell for the last 12 years. As a habitual journal writer, Mistress Ballard has recorded years of births, deaths, and illegitimate secrets, 'I do not consider myself a scribe of any repute. I am a chronicler of facts, not feelings'. When the dead body of a townsman, alleged to have committed a heinous crime is discovered, entombed within the ice of the frozen river, Martha is certain she'll find answers within her diary. Having long been an advocate for women at their most vulnerable, she won't stop asking questions until she finds answers.

Inspired by the real-life diaries of 18th Century, Martha Ballard, Ariel Lawhon has given us a glimpse of the daily life of not only a small, post-Revolution, town in America but specifically the lives of women. History often lacks the everydayness of womanhood. Between literacy and expense, reading and writing were often reserved for 'important' communication. Added to this, is a real small-town whodunnit, replete with a cast of characters and plenty of gossip. But it's also a love story. Martha's husband Ephraim is a ballast steadying the emotional storms that test her daily; dealing with life and death, 'I have long since mastered the art of nursing joy at one breast and grief at the other'. Martha is a lot of things, but ultimately she is a champion for fairness and justice, and in her line of work, that often means women.

I loved this book and all its layers. It is a long story made up of everyday stories of life. Its austere tone beautifully reflects the harsh winter and somewhat Puritanical attitudes that lingered. Whether you enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, or a bit of romance, you're sure to enjoy this book.

'Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion and they back it without partiality. That, I believe is why so few women are taught to read and write'.